MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Study #1 in the Panel Negotiating the Use of New York City’s Shared Public Spaces

New York subway stations are the epitome of urban culture within the city, drawing more than 5 million passengers to over 400 stations each day. They are joined by thousands of people looking to buy, sell, promote, and enjoy all manner of goods, entertainment, and social, religious, and political causes under the Metropolitan Transport Authority’s free-speech policy.

Buskers have been an integral part of the city and of subway stations since the era when performing in the street was illegal without a permit. The MTA’s “Music Under New York” program grants permits to individuals chosen by audition, allowing them to use amplifiers and providing them a secured space within the train station of their choice.

Transit officers are tasked with overseeing public safety within these government-owned infrastructures. They ensure that performers do not impede traffic, jeopardize passengers’ safety, or violate other rules of conduct set forth by the Transit Adjudication Bureau. While subway stations are public spaces, transit officers do not view them as such. Subway performers who use these spaces for profit are perceived to undermine the authority of transit officers. Because performers inhibit MTA personnel from enforcing regulations, tensions arise between the two entities, leading to a power struggle and a negative view of performers by transit authorities. This study investigates how different individuals interpret the public space of subway stations. Through direct observation of and interviews with transit officers, we collected data in order to analyze the relationship between transit officers and subway performers and to understand the reasons for the animosity between them. Interviews were conducted by the primary student researchers, supplemented by interviews conducted by classmates.